Factory loads more accurate than mine

[Lennyjoe]

Coondogger, as I assume you know well and good by now, reloading is a process in which we find a good bullet/powder combination by trial and effort. Each of or rifles will have a preferred bullet/powder combination that will outperform 95% of the commercial ammunition out there. The challenge is finding it.

“Ladder testing” as some call it involves batch loading and testing of several powder charges (usually in .5grain increments) from listed minimum to maximum charge with same bullet, depth and crimp. I usually do 5 rounds of each powder load to start. Fire and document. Having the phone camera is handy to take pics of results. Use a marker to document the target as well so you have historical data along with data entry in a ledger.

If the bullet/powder combination is unsatisfactory you have a decision to make. Try different powder, or bullet.

Welcome to the wild wonderful world of load development. If you’ve been hard at it for a while and everything above is old news, then carry on and be safe.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Perhaps you've not fired any Winchester ammunition. I think a well aimed rock will outperform their offerings.

I've not tried their regular line ammo, but do have extensive experience with their Winchester Supreme ballistic silvertip ammunition and it has shot lights out in the 3 calibers I've tried it for (.280, .308 and .30-06).
Something tells me that they wouldn't be selling much ammo if everyone has the experience you describe.

 

[2ndtimer]

Something tells me that they wouldn't be selling much ammo if everyone has the experience you describe.

Are you kidding? In the current environment, everybody is selling everything they can get out the door! Even mediocre imported stuff has vanished from the shelves.
FWIW, I do agree that even some relatively inexpensive ammo (Federal Power Shok blue box) can be surprisingly accurate. I have struggled to match it in a certain Ruger Hawkeye.308 Win.

 

[Charlie98]

I've tested three loads for my lever action rifle.

A 150 gr Sierra FN propelled by 28.7 of IMR-3031; a 150 gr Sierra FN propelled by 27.7 gr of H335; and a 150 gr jacketed RN in front of 26.5 gr of IMR-3031.

The first centerfire rifle I ever loaded for was my brother's Marlin 336 in .30-30. To get brass for it, I just bought 4 boxes of factory Winchester ammos... and to see what it liked. Shooting factory ammos, the Marlin showed a particular distaste for the 150grn factory, and a fondness for the 170's... so I never bothered handloading 150's. I was a big Speer guy back then, so I just bought a box of Speer 170grn SP's and went to work, finding a reasonable load with that bullet and H322.

Fast forward a few years, they had a sale on the Winchester SilverTip bullet somewhere, back when you could buy Winchester components. All else being equal, swapping the Winchester bullet in for the Speer... and my groups shrunk by half, just by moving to a different bullet. I have since moved to IMR3031 (for jacketed bullets) and that didn't change much in the Marlin, so I'm convinced the big variable was the bullet.

Although components are a little tricky to find right now, maybe be on the lookout for some 170's to try; I would stick with IMR3031, I don't consider H335 better for that purpose for a number of reasons.

 

[Charlie98]

Bouncing back to a few other comments here...

Yes, you need to trim your .30-30 brass after every firing... it's the only way to get consistent crimps for the tubular magazine, and not crush the shoulder at the same time. I've probably ruined more .30-30 brass from crimping than any other cartridge. It took a while to get it through my hard head that I needed to trim them up. Duh.

If you can't find a good load with IMR3031, you are doing something wrong. I use H335... in autoloading cartridges like the 5.56mm and 7.62mm, but I don't find it a particularly consistent powder, and wouldn't even consider it for the .30-30. I'm a big user of IMR4198... for cast bullets. I think IMR3031 is a better choice for jacketed bullets where velocity is a concern.

I've also found that trying 3 or 4 different combinations of one cartridge at one time... usually melts me brain down. I initially start with one bullet and one powder, work it up in a ladder. If I get satisfactory results, great. If the results are so-so, I might try a different powder with the same bullet, ladder up, and see if I can't find a better fit. If I don't find good results, I usually change the bullet and ladder up, again with the same powder... and so on.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Are you kidding? In the current environment, everybody is selling everything they can get out the door!

In the current environment, yes I agree. Anything that goes bang would sell right now.
But we're talking about a company that has been making ammo since 1886. You don't stay in business for 134 years (just the ammo side) by producing crap. There hasn't been an ammo panic for 134 years straight to blame their success on.

 

[Thomasss]

I have found 3031 to be a very good powder, but there are many different variations that must also be considered. I can out perform factory ammo, but I also clean the brass and the primer pockets, full length re-size, trim brass, measure the rifle throat and re-seat bullets accordingly, load match primers, load similar weighed bullets, load same Mfg, cases and check run out. My powder supplier, told me a short time ago that run out is just as important as the weight load of your powder. And I believe him.

 

[Palladan44]

From the instant you pull the trigger, to the time your bullet hits its target and comes to rest (often all in fractions of a second) there are several things taking place. Each link to the chain is its own science, and can be studied hard, and perfected with practice. The firearm itself can be refined, the shooter can be refined, and the ammunition can be refined.
Factory loads are designed to meet specifications to work in ALL firearms chambered in the caliber unless otherwise specified.
With enough research and trial and error (laddering your loads) , you will be able to get performance at least as good as the factory ammo, or better.
Having loads that perform less than satisfactory is part of the game, and it happens to ANY handloader exploring new (published hopefully) territory. Youre not alone, in fact what youre describing is where im at in a load hunt right now for .264 WM.

 

[2ndtimer]

As for favorite 30-30 loads, I used to shoot W-748 with 150 gr Hornady SP in my 14" Contender (single shot, so pointy bullets okay), eventually moved on to Accurate 2460. When my son acquired an old Winchester Model 94, I picked up a pound of Hodgdon Leverevolution on sale and that is all we use now. He favors the 150 gr bullets for a little higher velocity and flatter trajectory at 30-30 distances. I like the Sierra flat point, but also have some Speer FP and Hornady RN to experiment with.
We haven't shot it much off the bench, mostly off hand at 6" steel gongs at 100 yards.